The following is an excerpt from the “Cóngróng lù” (從容錄) aka the "Book of Serenity" or "Book of Equanimity". I am using Thomas Cleary’s translation.
The Book of Serenity was compiled and published by WanSong XingXiu in 1224 CE.
It is comprised of 100 koans as recorded by HongZhi ZhengJue. WanSong provides his comments and understanding in connection with each.
In addition, he includes poetic responses by TianTong ZongJue to which WanSong provides his own commentary as well.
All together, the point of the book, just like with the Blue Cliff Record is to help elucidate the core of Zen, to show you what it is really about, because what it is really about cannot be adequately captured in words.
Like etching the imprint of a leaf onto paper with a pencil, the aim of the book is for you to roll your mind over the words and the words over your mind until you start to get a sense of what this whole “Zen” thing is about.
Enjoy!
Case 58:
夾山揮劍
THE DIAMOND SCRIPTURE'S "REVILEMENT"
INTRODUCTION:
依經解義。三世佛冤。離經一字。返同魔說。因不收。果不入。底人。還受業報也無。
Understanding the meaning based on the scriptures is the enemy of the Buddhas of all times; deviating one word from the scriptures is the same as devil talk.
Does someone who is not included in cause or effect still experience the results of action or not?
CASE:
金剛經云。若為人輕賤（我作糞中蟲）。是人先世罪業應墮惡道（老僧最先入）。以今世人輕賤故（叢林驢騾蹴踏龍象）。先世罪業則為消滅（甚麼處去也）。
The Diamond-Cutter Scripture says, "If someone is reviled by others …”
(I am an insect in manure.)
“… this person has done wicked acts in previous ages and should fall into evil ways …”
(I'll go first of all.)
“… but because of the scorn and revilement of people in the present age …”
(Monastery donkeys and mules stomp on dragons and elephants.)
“… the wicked deeds of past ages are dissolved."
(Where do they go?)
COMMENTARY:
為能淨業障分。傅大士頌。先身有報障。今日受持經。暫被人輕賤。轉重復還輕。此正是依經解義也。後面四句便有衲僧氣息。道。若了依他起。能除遍計情。常依般若觀。何慮不圓成。前四句功德力。後四句觀行力。六祖口訣云。佛言。持經之人。合得一切人恭敬供養。為多生有重業障故。今生雖持此經。常被人輕賤。不得敬養。自以持經故。不起我人等相。不問冤親。常行恭敬。有犯不校。常修般若波羅蜜。歷劫重罪悉皆消滅。又約理而言。先世即是前念妄心。今世即是後念覺心。以後念覺心。輕賤前念妄心。妄不能住。故云先世罪業即為消滅。妄念既滅罪業不成。即得菩提。此理事二解皆約觀行也。僧問雲居。承教有言。是人先世罪業應墮惡道。以今世人輕賤。故先世罪業即為消滅。此意如何。居云。動則應墮惡道。靜則為人輕賤。崇壽稠云。心外有法。應墮惡道。守住自己。為人輕賤。萬松道。兩箇老漢俗氣也不除。且道。天童分上又作麼生。
With seeing and hearing as seeds, those in the eight difficulties transcend the ranks of the ten stages; with understanding and practice in oneself, in one lifetime the fruit of vast aeons is perfected.
GuiFeng, sectioning this scripture, called this “transforming wrongdoing and becoming enlightened.”
This is the nonduality of enlightenment and affliction, the nonduality of birth and death and nirvana.
Prince ZhaoMing of Liang, in sectioning this scripture, considered this the part able to clear away karmic obstructions.
Mahasattva Fu said in verse,
In a previous embodiment there were consequential hindrances;
Today accepting and upholding the scripture,
Temporarily slighted and scorned by people,
It turns the serious back into light.
This is truly understanding the meaning based on the scripture.
The last four clauses [of Fu] have the breath of a patchrobed monk, saying (in effect) if you comprehend relativity, you can get rid of feelings based on mere thought construction; always relying on the insight of pure wisdom, why worry about it not being absolute reality?
The first four clauses [of the case] are the power of accomplishment and virtue, the latter four are the power of contemplation practice.
The oral transmission of the Sixth Patriarch says,
“Buddha said that people who uphold the scripture should receive the respect and offerings of all people; (if) because of heavy karmic obstructions for many lives, though you uphold the scripture in this life you are always reviled by people and do not get respect or support, (yet) because you yourself uphold the scripture you do not produce images such as self and others, and always practice respect and honor without question of enemy or friend, not contending when offended against, always cultivating transcendent wisdom--so the burdensome faults of the ages will all vanish.
Also, to speak in terms of inner reality, 'previous age' is the deluded mind of the preceding moment “the present age” is the awake mind of the succeeding moment.
The awake mind of the succeeding moment scorns the deluded mind of the previous moment; because the delusion cannot remain, therefore it is said that the wicked deeds of previous ages will thereby be dissolved.
Once deluded thoughts die out, bad deeds aren't done, and one attains enlightenment."
These two understandings, inner reality and phenomenal, both are reference to contemplative practice.
A monk asked YunJu, "I understand in the teachings there's a saying, 'This person has done evil in previous existence and should fall into the evil ways; because in present life he is scorned and reviled by people, the bad karma of previous existence is thereby dissolved'--what does this mean?"
YunJu said, "If he moves he should fall into the evil realms; if he's still he'll be reviled by people."
ChongShou Zhou said, "If there's anything outside of mind, he should fall into the evil ways; if he keeps to himself he'll be reviled by people."
I say, the two old fellows' mundanity is not yet gone.
But tell me, what about TianTong?
VERSE:
綴綴功過（唯除頓覺人）。
膠膠因果（并法不隨順）。
鏡外狂奔演若多（腳下煙生）。
杖頭擊著破灶墮（百雜碎）
灶墮破（靈從何生聖從何至）
來相賀（伏惟墮[忏-千+羅]）。
卻道。
從前辜負我（何不早道）。
Continuous, merit and fault:
(Only excepting suddenly enlightened people.)
Inextricable, cause and effect.
(They don't even go along with the Dharma.)
Outside of the mirror crazily ran Yajnadatta.
(Smoke rises under his feet.)
With the staff the oven-breaker struck--
(Smashing into a hundred fragments.)
--the oven fell;
(Whence is the spirit born, where does the holiness come from?)
The spirit came to celebrate,
Only to be told he'd been turning away from his self.
(Why didn't you say so before?)
VERSE COMMENTARY:
功即持經。過即先業。既立妄因。必招妄果。楞嚴云。豈不聞。室羅城中。演若達多。忽於晨朝。以鏡照面。愛鏡中頭眉目可見。嗔責己頭不見面目。以為魑魅。無狀狂走。於意云何。此人何因無故狂走。富樓那言。是人心狂。更無他故。此迷真執妄也。般若觀照真也。功過因果妄也。真智現前。妄業消滅。阿耨菩提皎然本具。此正教意。衲僧分上如何。嵩嶽破灶墮和尚。山塢有廟。殿安一灶。烹宰祭祀不輟。墮領侍者入廟。以杖敲灶三下咄云。此灶泥瓦合成。聖從何來靈從何起。恁麼烹宰物命。又打三下。灶乃傾墮破落。安國師號為破灶墮。須臾有一人。青衣峨冠設拜云。我本廟神久受業報。今日蒙師說無生法。脫此處生在天中。特來致謝。師曰。是汝本有。非吾強言。神再拜而沒。土瓦合成。聖從何來。無我人相。般若智也。以真智為妄業。從來辜負。今日相賀。烹宰物命極多全無福利。禪老敲三拄杖便得生天。咄。鬼怕惡人難展掌。賊憑贓物易承頭。
“Merit” is upholding the scripture; “fault” is former karma.
Once you've established an illusory cause, you'll surely bring on an illusory result. The Heroic March Scripture says, "Haven't you heard how in the city of Shravasti, Yajnadatta suddenly one morning went to a mirror to see his face; he wanted to be able to see his head, eyebrows and eyes in the mirror, and got mad that he couldn't see the face on his own head; thereby he became insane and ran crazily for no reason. What do you think? Why did this person run crazy?"
Purna said, "This man was crazed--no other reason."
This is missing the real and clinging to the illusory.
When real wisdom appears, illusory karma vanishes, and unexcelled enlightenment is already inherent. This is the meaning of the true teaching; how about for a Chan monk?
About the oven-breaker monk: the mountain aborigines had a shrine with an oven in the hall where they made burnt sacrifices all the time. The Breaker had led some followers into the shrine, hit the oven three times with his staff and scolded it, "This oven is composed of mud and brick--where does the holiness come from, where does the spirit arise, that you burn living creatures?"
And he hit it again three times, where upon the oven collapsed.
National Teacher An named him the Oven-Breaker.
In a flash there was a man dressed in green, with a tall hat; he bowed and said, "I was originally the spirit of the shrine. For a long time I have been subject to consequences of karma; today, having heard your explanation of birthlessness, I am freed from this place and born in heaven. I came just to offer thanks."
The master said, "It is [because of] your fundamental nature, not my insistence."
The spirit bowed again and disappeared.
Compounded of mud and brick--where does the holiness come from? No sign of self or others--this is true wisdom.
Always having been turned away, today coming to celebrate--he burned many living beings, and had no benefit; three hits of the Chan ancient's staff and he's born in heaven.
Tch! Demons, fearing evil men, can hardly open their hands; thieves relying on stolen goods can easily take the lead.
GREENSAGE'S COMMENTS:
Tch! Tch!
Don't worry about the revilement of others: it's just your bad karma burning up.
Just worry about yourself, and be honest about your faults.
Besides, no one can revile you the way that you can. That is to really light a fire under your own ass!
XD
Follow the (alleged) instructions of HuiNeng, the Sixth Patriarch, and you will behold the power of contemplation practice. The power of contemplation practice will show you the power of virtue. If you have a gut-instinct for virtue, then use that power to reveal "contemplation practice" to yourself.
If you're still confused, FengXue YanZhao had a saying (also in Case 38 of the BOS):
“Establish one mote of dust and the nation flourishes. The villagers knit their brows in anxiety. Not establishing one mote of dust and the nation is lost. Then the hundred households live in peace. When you understand this, then there is nothing more, and everything is your teacher."
If your heart is a furnace, break the oven!
Don't burn up poor living creatures.
What are you hoping to gain?
Submitted August 15, 2020 at 12:43AM by ZEROGR33N https://ift.tt/2E1veED
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